Nursling
/ˈnɜːrs.lɪŋ/noun
A child or young person who is nursed or cared for; an infant or dependent under protection.
Did you know?*Nursling* is built from *nurse* plus the old child-suffix *-ling*, a pattern that often marked something small, young, or under someone’s control.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
nēosan / nēost?
“Early forms connected to nursing and rearing appear in Old English vocabulary for feeding, tending, and caring for the young.”
Middle English
ME
nursen
“To nourish, suckle, and care for a child or the sick.”
Middle English
ME
nursling
“A child being nursed; one under care and nourishment.”
Modern English
English
nursling
“A child, young creature, or dependent being cared for by another.”